Yeah okay so I am famous for this...Self Diagnosing. No I am not a hypochondriac and yes I know what the
DSM-IV classifications for this are. No no no my friend I am just the type of person who hates and I mean hates going to the doctor. Every time I go I have this feeling that I am at some sort of coolness visit. Which I unfortunately usually show up in sweats a t-shirt and one of the children's snot matted in my hair (pretty I know). Seriously though nurses come in I'm fine. Then the doctor comes in and all the sudden I am super self conscious and wonder why I am waisting this poor doctor's time. I mean seriously I could have at least showered. Okay so enough of my issues. Unfortunately I take this doctor visit baggage into total physician avoidance. You can ask Aaron I use to just complain that I wasn't feeling good but not actually go to the doctor. Well after Liam came home and so much time and energy is spent trying to keep up with him I am doing (mainly because of Aaron's prompting) a much better job of taking care of myself. So going to the doctor is really something I have just started doing within the last year and a half. When we lived in Saint
louis I would go maybe once a year and then the doctor would order a bunch of tests and well I just wouldn't go. Yeah smart I know I was just pretty notorious for it. So to self cope I kinda started figuring out what my symptoms were and trying to take a more holistic approach. Vitamins, nasal rinses, messages etc. Yes messages are very healing and do help detoxify. So it feels strange to me to actually be going to the doctor feeling like I have no clue what is going on and to have doctor's tell me it's nothing.
So what have I done? Well turned to the old internet my faithful friend. It actually isn't my friend at all and I am truly terrible at researching things...But with what is going on with my neck I just wanted to figure out what it could be.
Through my research I have discovered an illness that fits so much of what is happening. The fatigue, body and joint aches (which at times are unbearable), numb toes, weight loss, swelling, and even the heart murmurs that I have are now lasting longer. Something that I worry could be tied into it all.
So I feel I have a pretty good idea as to what this could be but I have no idea how to go about talking to a doctor about it. I have heard physicians hate when you start a conversation with "so I was reading on the Internet..." So I am not sure what to do. I am pretty sure at this point I will get a second opinion (which is really a fourth opinion). This is much at Aaron's request. Which I totally respect because when anything is ailing him I cry until he gets it checked out. (I don't really cry but I definitely boss him;). Anyway When I go to the appointment should I take a list of what is going on whether I think it is related? Should I go back to my original doctor whom I have never told all my symptoms to or should I start fresh?
Ugh I don't know how to do this...
3 comments:
This is just a shot from the hip, but I'd say if you like your original doctor enough, ya, go back to him and give him the full run down and... 'don't take no for an answer' so-to-speak. As in, don't let him say, "Oh it's fine."
Otherwise, if you don't have any attachment to the first doc, sure, try a new one. Maybe let him know that you've been brushed aside by 4 docs already and they seemed very unprofessional. See how "professional" he gets after that.
Bethany, you should definitely take your list of symptoms with you. Don't be afraid or feel stupid. You never know if they may all be related. The more info you can give them the better. That's my two cents. I hope that you go see a doctor that is willing to listen!
Well, here's from someone who endured 9 months of doctors ruling out one thing after another...
go to the doc you trust the most and tell them every little thing even if it seems unrelated. That's what I did and we finally got a diagnosis. Don't be afraid to keep pursuing it until you are satisfied! They work for YOU!
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